Diabetic and prone to weight
 

I am a type II diabetic, but insulin-dependent. If I eat any carbs at all, my sugar levels zoom up to the moon, and if I don't eat, my sugar levels *creep* up. Oral meds didn't work. Low-carb and insulin are the only methods that keep my numbers under control. So, truth be told, I'm low-carbing more to keep my sugar levels down than to lose weight, although I desperately do need to lose.

Now about my weight history:

I was born after 32 weeks, prematurely, but I weighed 4 lbs. 11 oz. at birth. That's already almost a pound more than average, for that gestation! Had I gone full term, I would have probably weighed close to 9 pounds, vs. 7 1/2 for the average baby.

I was my mother's first, and she was very young and didn't know better. She fed me until I fell asleep or threw up. It didn't occur to her that I might be crying because my tummy was too full. She figured if I was crying, it meant I was hungry, so she kept feeding me. By the time I was 5 months old, I was eating two full Junior size baby food jars every meal. I've seen pictures of myself then. I looked like a little Buddha.

It just occurred to me how long this post could get, so I think I'll put the rest of it in a blog, but here I'll cut to the chase:

I am at my very hungriest when my blood sugar is high. If I find myself so hungry I think I'm going to faint, what I've taken to doing instead of eating right away is to check my sugar, then administer the corresponding amount of insulin. The double-edged sword here is that I've been told insulin makes you gain weight.

I figure if I'm eating right, exercising to the point of building up muscle--which is another topic--and keeping my blood sugar under control, and I'm staying the same rather than gaining, it's a victory.

Thoughts? Thanks.

I dont have diabetes but I just want you to know you aren't alone in trying to lose weight and become healthier! I am doing a low carb diet. If it is keeping your blood sugar under control...why not keep doing that? Also, have you met with a nutritionist? They could design the perfect plan for you to follow! BTW, I've lost 9 pounds this week doing low carb. :) The only carbs I eat are from veggies. Good luck! :)

I'm with you on sticking to lower carb although I am certainly not a paragon of weight control. The weight comes off me very, very slowly but I hang in there. I've recently added gym workouts which seem to be helping. I hope to get my HA1C results on Monday.

I'm a type 2, too. 3FC does have a support group for diabetics. Stop by sometime. I have noticed that my blood sugars will spike with any and all "white foods". When I was first diagnosed, I cut out all bread, pasta, sugar, rice, potatoes, etc. It took a lot of trial and error to find out what kind of carbs my body can tolerate, and I always ate according to my meter. Carbs from most veggies are well tolerated and I definitely like being able to chow down on a generous portion. I keep my daily carb intake below 60 g. If you are able to maintain your current weight while building muscle mass and tone, you will eventually see some improvement. Muscles weigh more than fat and help the body to regulate blood glucose levels. As for insulin, I have heard it does make weight loss more difficult, but not impossible. Keep up your good work and I look forward to reading about your progress.